Soft box toe



Dec. 9, 1930. L DALY 1,784,276

SOFT BOX TOE Filed Jan. 18, 1927 Zw@ z- /Z \/1 s s S I zvelztorlaallefl.gl

Patented nec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENToFFlcE CHARLES Lno DALY, orBnocxToN, MAssAcHUsE'rTs, AssIGNon, BY masiva ASSIGN- PORATION OFMASSACHUSETTS WATEBTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR- son nox fronv Application1aed :maartv 1s, 191:7,V serial no. 161,775. l

The usual soft box toe is an all-leather, allcork, or all-rubber blankor a combinationof any'of these with a slight percentage ofthermoplastic impregnant to give the blank some 5 stiffness.y Inassembling this type of blank in the toe of the shoe the usual practiceisv the blank between the lining and thel 15 the foot will drop awayfrom the blank.

Where it is attempted to stitch the soft box toe to the toe tip, theblank will wrinkle below the stitch line.

To the end, therefore, of providing a soft box toe blankwhich may befirmly anchored to the toe tip of the shoe without stitching, and whichwhen so lincorporated,will retain its position relative to the tipwithout wrinkling, and hold the toe lining up from the toes, I havedevised my present invention. According to it, I apply to either or bothfaces of the soft toe blank, either adjacent the tip line only orthrough a substantial portion of the blank, a coating of'latentlyadhesive ma- 3o terial which is capable .of being rendered adhesive upontreatment, as by heat treatment, by wetting, immersion in a solvent, orby exposure to the solvent vapor, and which coating is different incharacter and results from the thermoplastic impregnant which issometimes used to stiffen thebody of the s oft toe blank.

Beforethe blank is lasted, this coatingis rendered adhesive so that itwill anchor the blank to the toe tip vamp and, if desired, to theliningof the shoe, whereby toof itself adhesivelyfix the blank within theshoe, thus avoiding the necessity for stitching in the blank or forsimply laying it loosely in the toe as in present methods. Moreover, theadherent coating reinforces the blank along its line of greatestweakness thus not only preventing wrinkling but imparting tothe soft toea slight degree of stillness` which enables the shoe better to hold itsshape.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated embodiments of myinvention which I have found satisfactory in practical use.

Fig. 1 is a partial section through a lasted upper showing a soft boxtoe blank assembled thereink in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a face View of the blank removed.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3, of Fig. 2, and t Figs. 4,5 and 6 are vertical sections showlng modifications.. i

I have indicated` at 1 a soft box toe blank. This blank may be of anyusual material, and 1f desired, may be lightly impregnated with athermoplastic penetrant, usually of bltuminous origin, and whichpenetrant acts asa stiflener for the blank.

According to my invention I coat one or both faces of theblank,-preferably the outer face and preferably adjacent the tip lineedge of the blank, with a suitable adhesive coating 2. The coating 2 maybea relatively narrow band of adhesive adjacent the ti line edge, asshown in Figs. 2.and 3, or 1t may extend over the entire outer face ofthe 75 blank, as shown-in Fig. 4, or overthe entire inner face, as shownin Fig. 5, or'over both faces as shown in Fig. 6.

. This coatin is normally hard and dry, but may be so tened inany mannerto render it adhesive, as by heat treatment, by wetting, by dipping in asolvent or by exposure to the solvent vapor. When suiiiciently softenedor otherwise rendered adhesive, the coating adherently connects theblank to the toe tip 3, lining and doubler 4 and vamp 5 of the shoe,thus avoiding the necessity for stitching said parts through and throughthe blank. The coating may be of any desired material which issubstantially different in character and result from the thermoplasticimpregnant with which the blank is sometimes stitfened It may be hardglue, dextrine, gutta-percha, rubber or any b1tuminous or resinousmaterial whichis capable of being rendered sticky on treatment.

When the coating is rendered adhesive -and the blank lasted in the shoe,the coating positively fixes the blank against Inovement relative to the'toe tip. The lining cannot, therefore, pull out with the last when thelast is withdrawn from the formed toe, as frequently happens with aloosely laid blank, and the blank itself will not slide or creep on thetip and thus wrinkle under the lexations of the shoe in walking.

Moreover, the stitches 6 which fasten the overlapping vamp and toe tipto each other do not have 'to be carried through the blank. The coatingacts as a stiener, particularly at the tip line edge where the blank isweakest, and hence results in a blank of increased stiffness.

What I thereforeclaim and desire to secure by LettersPatent is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a soft flexible one piece box toeblank carrying an external coating of latently adhesive material capablewhen rendered adhesive of forming the sole connecting medium between theblank and the tip and vamp of a shoe and when hardened acting to stifenthe blank adjacent to its tip line edge.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a soft flexible one piece box toeblank carrying on both faces an external coating of latently adhesivematerial capable when rendered adhesive of forming-the sole connectingmedium between the blank and the tip and vamp of a shoe and between theblank and the shoe linin and when hardened acting to stien the lank.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a soft flexible one piece box toeblank containing a thermoplastic stifening agent, and carrying a coatingof Water softenable stiifening and adhesive agent capable when renderedadhesive of forming the sole bonding medium of said blank with adjacentparts of the shoe in which it is assembled and when hardened acting tostiffen the toe portion of the shoe.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES LEO DALY.

